Houston Rockets: The 15 greatest centers of all-time

Otis Thorpe was drafted by the Kansas City Kings with the ninth overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. After the Kings moved to Sacramento, they traded Thorpe to Houston for Rodney McCray and Jim Peterson in 1988.

Thorpe fit in quite well next to Olajuwon, averaging 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds in his first season as a Rocket. A few years later in the 1991-92 season, Thorpe made his first and only All-Star appearance after averaging 17.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.

In the 1993-94 season, Thorpe helped the Rockets win their first ever championship after they defeated the New York Knicks in seven games in the NBA Finals. In February of 1995, Thorpe was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in a package for Clyde Drexler. You could say that he had a hand in Houston’s championship in 1995, too. Drexler was a huge part of that second championship squad in Houston.

From there, Thorpe spent time with the then Vancouver Grizzlies, the Kings, the Washington Wizards, the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets before retiring after the 2000-01 season at age 38.

Thorpe averaged 15.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game over six and a half seasons with the Rockets and helped the franchise win its first championship. Also, Thorpe appeared in 482 of 492 possible games for the Rockets over his first six full seasons with the team.